If you’re at all familiar with my blog or my history with Etsy, you’ll know I extend to them no real kindness. In fact, though I’m no longer a seller, my soul withers with every purchase I make using that platform. Pretty soon, I’ll be nothing but a morally ambiguous shell ready to sell my creative spirit for a knitted fox scarf. Sniff. Last fall, Huffington Post posted a remarkably inspiringtale of a stay-at-home mother who raised a million dollar business from the ashes of domesticity, in part, thanks to Etsy and its handcrafted philosophy. But the viral coverage sparked controversy when it wasdiscoveredher items were mass produced in India and altered with “lace and buttons” before sale. What was being branded “handmade” was only “hand altered”, and then only just. Etsy has tried desperately, over the years, to maintain its presence as a handcrafted marketplace while encouraging, whether with blatant abandon or not, mass production and big business. And then this happened. Etsy announced, with idealistic corporate glee, their IPO, which means great things for suits and shareholders and much less for the handcrafting sole proprietor. Since public companies are under intense scrutiny to remain profitable and increase profits, this could spell disaster for the micro business while impacting large manufacturers in much smaller ways. Etsy has built its brand on the handcrafted ideology, and then abandoned the artists who popularized it in favor of profit-driven resellers. Suppliers, vintage, mass production are all terms now synonymous with Etsy’s global “handmade” marketplace. Ironically, however, handmade is in short supply. Customers are searching for, and purchasing, what they believe to be handmade goods, often on the backs of real artisans, but not for their benefit. And Etsy clearly understands these self-incriminating moves, having recently changed its “handmade” tagline to “unique goods”. Ahem. Nice move, Etsy. In light of the never-ending string of epic Etsy failures and disappointments, I’ve made the decision to cut the cord. Refusing to maintain an Etsy shop was a personal trial. It pushed me into a series of monumental self-expressive episodes which have improved my selling experience, as a whole. It wasn’t easy, but it was worthwhile. And, as a result, I discovered a world of possibilities for artistic sellers. As such, I will no longer support their hypocritical business model by purchasing via this platform. I know, I know… but what about the honest sellers producing legitimate handcrafted goods? I hear what you’re saying. Etsy is easy. It’s known. It provides internal traffic. Promotions. Advertising. I’ve heard it, and I believed it once myself. And then I left and my business didn’t die, so I can assure you there are other (perhaps more) affordable solutions. And I surprised even myself, in the end. But really, I get it. This isn’t a particularly popular opinion to have when so many hopeful artisans are struggling to maintain a presence in the ever over-populated Etsy marketplace. However, by purchasing products via the Etsy platform, I’m condoning their blatant abuse of artists. And it’s just not worth the guilt! If you get a message from me via Etsy asking for black market sales of your items off site, don’t be surprised. I still want to support you, but not if it means supporting them. Now give me all the knitted fox scarves. All of them!

Nicole,
What a beautiful new website! I'm glad to see you retained all your blogs even if you lost all the comments. I look forward to these blogs and very often read through them over and over. You share such great information. I'll start knitting you that scarf lol!
Regards, Linda

Reply

Sandy

3/23/2015 09:40:42 pm

Hi Nicole,
I'm sorry that this comment isn't in regards to this current blog, but I do promise to read it thoroughly.
I'm looking for some guidance, and, viewing you as the best in wire weaving (butter up, butter up), I was hoping you could locate an article you did on Types of Weave (Part One).
I've also been searching for photos and their corresponding graphic wire paths, but I've only come up with 2 very basic sheets from Eni Oken. Do you know what I'm talking about, and could you please point me in the right direction, please?
I honestly do see you as the best in wire weaving. You work is absolutely beautiful!
Hope to hear from you shortly.
Very sincerely, Sandy See (Seesaw Handcrafted Jewelry - very much in its infancy on Etzy - Oh, oh) Must read your article on Etsy -Thanks so much!!

The other thing you are referring to, with the graphics, I can't help with. It doesn't sound familiar to me.

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Sandy

3/27/2015 01:09:19 pm

Hi Nicole, Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I followed the link you attached, and it goes to "Types of Weave - Part 2", which is the current one I have. I'm looking for its predecessor - Part 1. Do you have that link?

I've just started my Etsy store about 2 months ago with a very limited amount of items in it (Seesaw Handcrafted Jewelry or it may be still under Seesaw Jewelry Design). So far, I've had no viewers (therefore no buyers;( which is a bit discouraging. Do you have any tricks you used to promote your site; and if Etsy isn't what it's supposedly cracked up to be, (someone to help the little real handcrafter, then what have you found out there that a poor fledgling artist could afford. I hate this "Going Public" thing with Etsy. It's showing that they really aren't for the little guys.

Thanks so much for your help. I did actually purchase a few tutorials just a couple of days ago, so I'm eager to get at them and learn some new stuff.

Hi Sandy! For some reason I can't reply to your latest comment (hence the late response). Part 1 isn't a weaving tutorial. Just an intro to wire wrapping with a wrapped bead dangle. That can be found by looking at the categories on the right "Tutorials".

To answer your other question, Etsy does have some internal traffic. Certainly more than you'll find anywhere else, to be honest. So you have to turn your focus to finding your own customers, usually through social networking. Though it's not necessary to have your own website, it helps to separate yourself as your own professional. Most customers see shops on Etsy as "employees" of Etsy, and many don't even realize those shop owners are their own businesses, so to be part of a marketplace can be confusing, and can sometimes even drive customers away from your own shop front. In the end, there's no real secret to marketing. It's all part of a business plan, setting an outline of the types of products and the types of customers you're hoping to attract, and then researching where you're most likely to find those customers, and reaching out to them via social networking. You'll find, honestly, that you'll likely spend 70% of your "working" time actually networking and marketing, verses creating. You CAN use Etsy as well, by joining groups and then joining Facebook groups for Etsy sellers, which are meant to help promote each other. That might work out for you as well. I wish you lots of luck!

First of all congratulations for your amazing work. I've just discovered your work and I will be following you from now on.

I've been three weeks working on my new Etsy shop, and after reading your post, I'm thinking on closing the shop next june, when the payment expires.

All the things that you say about re-sellers are true. When I sell on the street it doesn't matter, because the customer can see how we (Silvia and me) work with the wire and pliers. The customer understands that they are paying the amoungt of hours of work and learning, creativity and uniqueness of each job. On Etsy or you have a name (trademark) or it is difficult to start a new shop.

We will see what to do this next months. Again thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences on this blog, congratulations and please continue taeching us all.

Reply

Wendi Reamy

5/5/2015 09:12:42 am

I can't help but agree with you on this, Nicole. Etsy is miles away from its original intent, and the company seems wholly devoted to deceiving both sellers and buyers by claiming to be something it's not.

I've never been able to commit to setting up a store on Etsy, but I've been a regular Etsy buyer for years. With the announcement of this IPO, however, I've been reluctant to continue purchasing supplies and finished goods through Etsy. After reading this blog post, I can see it's time to cut that cord completely. The company lacks integrity, and that's not something I can continue to overlook.

If they wouldn't push the "handmade" branding so blatantly, while allowing resellers, I probably wouldn't have a problem with them. Their fees are reasonable, and it's an otherwise decent platform. But I just can't handle the ongoing deception, which hurts every handmade artisan selling on that site. Sigh.

So now I just use Etsy to find sellers on Facebook, and then I message them and ask if they'll sell to me off site. LOL

Reply

Wendi Reamy

5/5/2015 10:26:58 am

I use it mainly for inspiration at this point, though I have purchased a couple of needlepoint patterns and wire tutorials recently. I already follow most of my favorite artists on Facebook, but I never considered asking them for alternate sales channels until you mentioned it. Thanks for a great idea!

Also, please accept my apology for sharing a link to Etsy with the Wire Wrap Tips & Tutorials group on Facebook. I regretted posting that link immediately after I did it, but Copar Aingeal's tutorials can be tricky to locate for some odd reason. I'd recently purchased two of her tutorials, so I knew immediately where to direct that particular inquiry.

Sandra Smith

1/6/2017 07:31:48 am

I am so glad I read this particular blog even though it is a bit older. I was thinking of joining Esty this coming year but began to wonder when one of the vendors I use as a source indicated they also had an Esty shop. I thought wow, this is not what I understood Esty to be and it has become just what I do not want. The artists are lost. So, just my website to come on line later this year and I guess I will have to join Facebook. But your information, coupled with what I found, has saved me from a potential mistake.

Reply

Nicole Hanna

1/6/2017 11:10:05 am

Etsy can be a great avenue for many, so definitely still consider it if it's in line with your brand or business model. They've just sadly changed their policies (as sites do when they grow) to mirror those I don't particularly agree with.

Reply

Wendi

1/6/2017 04:16:43 pm

What a difference a year and a half makes! It's so weird to read my own comments here because my opinion of Etsy (although it hasn't strictly changed from a philosophical standpoint) is pretty different today than it was when I responded to this blog post back in May 2015.

Here's the deal, from my perspective. I'm not an artist. I'm a craftsman. Designing fabulous little OOAK works of art isn't my particular superpower. The part of the creative process that really lights me up is all in the craftsmanship. I'm a builder at heart, I suppose, whereas Nicole is clearly an artist at heart.

From an artist's perspective, I can see why Etsy would be a huge turnoff. And when I wasn't being true to myself, and I was buying into the hype that it's somehow wrong to create something that isn't 100% original (as if there is such a thing in this day and age), I viewed Etsy as the enemy, too.

And then I pulled my head out of my rear and realized that Etsy is just a tool like any other tool I could choose to use (or not) to build my business. I needed a way to make money and contribute to my family's welfare, and I needed that way to be flexible enough to allow me to drive my daughter to and from school everyday (she goes to a charter school that doesn't offer bus transportation). The best way for me to do that is to leverage my wire-wrapping skills, and any other resources I could get my hands on, to start a small home business. And as it turns out, Etsy is the perfect launching pad for a small home business.

Is it perfect? Hell no! Is it a viable long-term solution? Nope. Not for me, anyway. But it has proved to be an incredibly user-friendly starting point for what I intend to be a thriving solopreneurship where I make small batch affordable wire-wrapped jewelry for people who love the uniqueness and style of wire jewelry, but don't want to (or can't afford to) pay for the kinds of wirework masterpieces made by the master designers in the field.

The point is this: don't dismiss Etsy just because it's a big nameless, faceless corporation. Etsy is in the business to make money. If you are as well (I am for certain), you already have enough common ground with the company to leverage that platform to help you get your business off the ground. Think of it as training wheels. Once you find your balance and have some momentum, you can kick Etsy to the curb and take off on your own. That's what I'm doing, anyway...

Whatever you decide, good luck!

Reply

Sandra Smith

1/6/2017 07:40:40 pm

Wendi/Nichole

Thank you both very much for your input! Perhaps I am being too harsh relative to Esty and with this information, probably will now give it a try. I am house-bound so cannot do craft fairs or shows and need to re-think my approach. I like the idea of thinking of Esty as a tool to get those training wheels going, the stage which I am very much at. Wire work as an artistic outlet is fairly new for me, I have been a painter most of my life until my eyes got too bad, but also need to build the craftsman skills side to execute my ideas, this is a journey I am enjoying and hope to have additional interaction as my path unfolds. This, Nichole, is where I have been learning much from your tutorials, not only trying to create them as you have instructed, but found that there much to be gained in seeing what changes I can make and how to adapt to a changing vision. Reminds me of my training as an artist when instructors would have us copy a master and then add our own touch. For this, I thank you. When the Esty shop is on line, will let you know as would appreciate input, but will be a few months yet.